Augustin Kontchou Kouomegni

Augustin Kontchou Kouomegni (born 1945 [http://www.spm.gov.cm/showgouv.php?module=showindividu&lang=fr&pers=206 Profile on Kouomegni at government website] fr icon.] ) is a Cameroonian political figure who served in the government from 1990 to 2001.

Kouomegni was born in Nkongsamba. He was Secretary-General of the National Federation of Cameroonian Students from 1968 to 1969, and in 1988 he became President of the Cameroonian Association of Political Science. He was first appointed to the government as Minister of Information and Culture in 1990.

Following student protests in April 1991, which were broken up by force, Kouomegni claimed that there were "none dead" ("zéro mort"); the opposition, challenging this claim, turned it into an anti-government slogan. [Joseph Takougang and Milton Krieger, "African State and Society in the 1990s: Cameroon's Political Crossroads" (2000), Westview Press, page 124.] He served as Minister of Information until he was appointed as Minister of Communication"L'Afrique politique 2000" (2000), Karthala Editions, page 75 fr icon.] and Government Spokesman in the government named on April 9 1992. He held this post during the controversial October 1992 presidential election, which was officially won by President Paul Biya, although the opposition alleged fraud. When the main opposition candidate, John Fru Ndi, was placed under house arrest amidst violence and a state of emergency in the Northwest Province in late October 1992, Kouomegni said that "if [Fru Ndi] was free, it would be a danger to the entire country". ["West Africa", November 9, 1992, page 1,914 (cited in Nantang Jua, "The Power Elite, the State, and Transition Politics in Cameroon", "Political Liberalization and Democratization in Africa: Lessons from Country Experiences" (2003), ed. Julius Omozuanvbo Ihonvbere and John Mukum Mbaku, Greenwood Publishing Group, page 98).] Following the election, Kouomegni was promoted to the rank of Minister of State, while retaining the communication portfolio, on November 27, 1992. After five years in that position, he was named Minister of State for Foreign Affairs on December 7, 1997. He served as Foreign Minister for over three years until he was replaced by François-Xavier Ngoubeyou in the government named on April 27 2001. [ [http://www.cameroon-info.net/cmi_show_news.php?id=6154 "Remaniement ministériel: Le coup de tête du Président !"] , Cameroon-info.net, April 30, 2001 fr icon.]

On September 13 2005, Kouomegni was installed as President of the Council of Administration of the University of Douala. [Julien Chongwang, [http://www.cameroon-info.net/cmi_show_news.php?id=16777 "Universites d'Etat: l'ADDEC fustige les nominations"] , "La Nouvelle Expression" (Cameroon-info.net), September 14, 2005 fr icon.]

References